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Conversations with key speakers at the Blockchain Expo Europe in Amsterdam suggest that cryptocurrency exchanges and companies see the continent as a key region for growth. Europe remains fertile ground for the cryptocurrency ecosystem to flourish in comparison to harsher regulatory environments, according to prominent speakers at this year’s Blockchain Expo in Amsterdam. Cointelegraph attended the convention held at the RAI conference center for the second year running, with the Blockchain Expo forming part of the larger Tech Expo event being hosted in the Netherlands. The event has typically attracted prominent mainstream industry players from the financial world to showcase how blockchain technology is being leveraged to power innovative new products and solutions across a myriad of industries. From finance, logistics, healthcare and marketing, blockchain technology and Web3 functionality continues to be a key growth area for different industry players. MiCA bodes well for institut...

As 130 economies explore CBDCs, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Nigeria have fully launched their versions, while G20 nations proceed cautiously. According to the Atlantic Council Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) Tracker updated on Aug. 16, only three countries have fully launched their CBDCs: the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Nigeria. Eight advanced economies, including China and the UK, have also conducted CBDC pilots. In a report provided by CoinGecko, emerging nations like the Bahamas and Nigeria are among a handful of nations that have strategically introduced CBDCs to enhance financial inclusivity and digitize their economic landscapes.  The report notes that their economies’ relatively compact size and less intricate financial systems have facilitated quicker adoption rates.  The study also highlighted that the utilization of Nigeria’s E-naira has been modest, with an estimated uptake of merely 6% of the population as of March 2023.  You might also like: Ni...

Coin Center research director Peter Van Valkenburgh argued that crypto mixer Tornado Cash is an anonymizing software provider, not a money transmitter. Crypto advocacy group Coin Center has criticized the latest indictment of two former Tornado Cash developers, arguing that the facts offered don't show any clear violations of money-transmitting-related offenses. Roman Storm and Romen Semenov were indicted by the United States Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) on Aug. 23 for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business, among other charges. In a follow-up opinion piece, Coin Center research director Peter Van Valkenburgh argues that the claims in the indictment appear to run counter to guidance from the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — arguing that Tornado Cash only provides the software to transmit money, rather than transmitting the money itself. New Tornado Cash indictment s seem to run counter to FinCEN guidance Coin Center’s initial thought...

Twitter users noticed thousands of Safe deployments to Optimism, leading to speculation that it may be an attack, but the developer of Worldcoin confirmed that this activity was merely an app migration. Worldcoin is the cause of a slew of Safe deployments to the Optimism (OP) network over the past week, according to a June 27 social media post from Tiago Sada, head of product for Worldcoin developer Tools for Humanity. The deployments had caused a stir on Twitter, as users wondered who was causing them and what their purpose was. Some Twitter users had speculated that it might be a Sybil attack or some kind of address-farming technique used to profit from coins sent to the wrong address. Deploying more safes - steady lads https://t.co/W5DiQirrP0 — tiago sada (@tiagosada) June 27, 2023 A Safe (previously called “Gnosis Safe”) is a multisignature smart contract wallet. It is often used by development teams to ensure that multiple team members must sign off on each transaction that s...

Could higher-quality gameplay and a completely free experience allow Web3 titles to attract more users? Play-to-earn games took the world by storm in 2021, and at their peak, some enthusiasts in South East Asia were able to supplement their incomes by getting involved. However, a crushing bear market and a series of hacks changed all that, and to make matters worse, the tokenomics within top-tier titles were unsustainable, meaning the rewards on offer had to be drastically reduced. Some gamers are also dismissive of the proliferation of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies, arguing that they take the fun out of the experience by making everything about money. Ubisoft is just one of the big brands that has faced negative feedback from its customers. Even for players who are open to nonfungible tokens, getting involved can be an expensive endeavor. In-game assets aren’t always cheap, especially when gas fees are factored in. And there’s also the risk of a disappointing return...

“Huge DJs” no longer appear at crypto events, instead, attendees are seeing more “well thought out, intelligent questions” being asked. The extended crypto winter has pushed crypto event organizers to tone down on the lavishness, allowing attendees to focus on asking more “intelligent questions” about regulation and tax. Crypto conferences attract all sorts from the crypto space, from founders and high-level executives to crypto influencers and everyday users. Tiffany Fong, a crypto vlogger who gained fame interviewing former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried following the collapse of the exchange, is attending crypto conferences for the first time this year. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Fong — who attended both Bitcoin Miami 2023 and NFT NYC 2023 — said she “can’t speak to how conferences used to be in the bull market s,” but has been told by other attendees that it is lighter on the entertainment side this year. “People have named dropped huge DJs that have performed in past conferences durin...

Despite negative sentiment toward crypto adoption in the United States, Consensus 2023 attracted thousands of attendees to discuss the potential of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Consensus, the annual crypto and blockchain conference, attracted over 15,000 attendees, 220 sponsors and 410 speakers to its 2023 edition in Austin, Texas, despite recent regulatory struggles around cryptocurrency adoption in the United States.  The turnout at Consensus 2023 demonstrated that U.S.-based companies and international organizations are still very much interested in implementing Web3 Technology into their Business models. Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank — a Wyoming-based digital asset bank — told Cointelegraph that the conference attracted serious ecosystem participants, saying, “We’ve seen during crypto winters before where Consensus gets overrun with high time preference people and companies (for example, multiple Lambo’s parked out front of the New York Hilton in 2018...

CBDCs could revolutionize the financial system by increasing efficiency, transparency and financial inclusion while reducing the use of cash. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are digital versions of fiat currencies that are backed and issued by central banks. Here are five ways in which CBDCs could impact the global financial system. Digitalization of payments CBDCs might make payments quicker and more efficient because they would do away with the need for intermediaries. Costs could be brought down as a result, along with financial inclusion and an improved global payments system. CBDCs could also enable cross-border payments to become faster and more efficient, as they would not be subject to the limitations of the traditional financial system. The ease and reduced cost of conducting cross-border commercial transactions could have a big impact on global trade. Additionally, because they would be supported by the central bank and subject to strict security controls, CBDCs coul...

There may be no single reason for BTC’s 39% January price gain, but some suspect institutional investors. Can their impact be quantified, though? Bitcoin experienced the second-strongest January in its history — and the best since 2013 — rising nearly 40% amid wide reports that institutional investors were back on board. Zhong Yang Chan, head of research at CoinGecko, told Cointelegraph that there were “net institutional inflows into digital asset funds in January 2023, particularly in the last two weeks, with Bitcoin the largest beneficiary.” Meanwhile, a Jan. 30 CoinShares blog noted that the total assets under management in digital asset investment products — a good gauge of institutional participation — had risen to $28 billion, led by Bitcoin (BTC), which was up 43% from November 2022’s low point in the current cycle. The reasons for this bullishness varied depending on whom one asked, ranging from macro factors like a pause in inflation growth to more technical reasons like a s...

The automotive giant is exploring DAO tools and blockchain integration to improve company operations. Automotive giant Toyota is delving deeper into blockchain use cases through its involvement with a Web3 hackathon for decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) developers. On Feb. 1, multi-chain smart contract and decentralized application (dApp) network Astar announced its inaugural Web3 hackathon. The news of note, however, was that it's being supported by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Founder of the Astar Network, Sota Watanabe, commented on the significance of Toyota’s involvement in the initiative: “During the event, we aim to develop the first PoC (Proof of Concept) DAO tool for Toyota’s employees. If a good tool is produced, Toyota employees will interact daily with products on Astar Network.” It is Toyota’s first Web3 event as the multinational vehicle company looks to emerging technology to “support its vision of improving the company’s operations,” the announcement not...

Matrixport’s head of research and strategy suggests the industry will soon see layer 1 and other altcoins outperforming relative to Bitcoin. Institutional investors are “not giving up on crypto,” with recent data pointing to as much as 85% of Bitcoin buying being the result of American institutional players, according to Matrixport’s chief strategist.  Markus Thielen, the head of research and strategy at the financial services firm, told Cointelegraph the evidence shows that institutions are not “giving up on crypto” and is an indicator that we might be entering a new “crypto bull market now.” The data was shared in a Jan. 27 report from Matrixport, which suggests that it can be distinguished whether a digital asset is more favorable by retail or institutional investors at any given time based on whether that asset is performing well in the United States or Asian Trading hours. The report stated that if an asset that trades 24 hours “performs well” during U.S. trading hours, it indi...

“It’s about taking inspiration from what we’ve done.” Lugano’s Plan B hopes to drive Bitcoin adoption dialogue at future World Economic Forum conferences. The World Economic Forum (WEF) convenes in Davos annually, taking over the Swiss skiing town. The main promenade is flush with events and companies renting out properties, with an increasing presence from companies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. The entrance to the WEF compound is restricted by cement barriers and security personnel, drawing an invisible line between the conference and the rest of Davos. Curiously, the last building on the fringe of the conference was branded with familiar logos, that of Polygon and the ever-recognizable Bitcoin (BTC) symbol. Cointelegraph stumbled upon Pietro Poretti while shooting footage of the Bitcoin logo emblazoned on the Tech Lodge stand. Poretti is the director of Lugano’s Economic Development department. This Swiss city has opened up BTC and crypto payments for various municip...

The “Digital Asset Issuance” legislation will also create a regulatory body, and establish a legal framework for all digital assets. El Salvador has passed landmark legislation providing the legal framework for a Bitcoin-backed bond — known as the “Volcano Bond” — which will be used to pay down sovereign debt and fund the construction of its proposed “Bitcoin City”. The bill passed on Jan. 11 with 62 votes for and 16 against, and is set to become law after it is ratified by President Bukele. #Plenaria90 Con 62 votos a favor, creamos la Ley de Emisión de Activos Digitales. pic.twitter.com/g1poXwLoH3 — Asamblea Legislativa (@AsambleaSV) January 11, 2023 The National Bitcoin Office of El Salvador announced the passage of the bill in a Jan. 11 tweet thread, noting that they will begin issuing the bonds soon. 3/ El Salvador is the epicenter of Bitcoin adoption, and thus, economic freedom, financial sovereignty, censorship resistance & unconfiscatable wealth. When we issue the ...